Applicability of Lean Concept in Improving the Human Resourcing Practice in the Context of Sri Lankan Apparel Industry

Abstract

Today Apparel Industry accounts for the largest portion of total exports of Sri Lanka and its biggest challenge is the existence of higher labour turnover resulting from the ill effects of labour recruitments. Research focuses upon enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of Human Resourcing Practice eliminating waste and creating high value addition component of the Apparel Industry as a whole on the foundation of the application of Lean Concept. We have identified the Human Resourcing Best Practice of the Apparel Industry through past literature and expert opinions and focused upon five medium and large-scale apparel manufactures in Sri Lanka to identify inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of Human Resourcing Practice by comparing their current Practice with the industry Best Practice. As a result, we identified that non-existence of value adding activates and existence of non-value adding activities mainly contributed to the higher labour turnover in Apparel Industry. Finally, study recommends that Hoshin Kanri Lean tool can be used to eliminate the waste in Human Resourcing Practice.

Keywords: Lean, Human Resource Management, Lean for Human Resource, Sri Lanka, Apparel Industry, Hoshin Kanri